Grizzly Game Review: Rage

Way back in the early ‘90s, id Software essentially invented the first-person shooter when they released Wolfenstein 3D. They continued to dominate the genre they defined with Doom and Quake in the years following, which today are recognized as some of the most successful and important franchises in video game history. While all three of these IP’s have had all kinds of sequels and remakes in the years since their initial creation, id seemed to have retired more or less from the industry proper. That is until this year with the release of Rage.

Wolfenstein 3D

In the year 2029 a massive asteroid collides with Earth, wiping out the majority of life on the planet. The player wakes up in an ark, one of many cryogenic stasis chambers buried beneath the Earth as part of the Eden Project, an international attempt to preserve humanity’s existence after the Apophis asteroid’s impact. However the Eden Project was an apparent failure – you’re released from cryo to find the rest of your ark killed and much of the ark itself badly damaged. After making your way out into the wasteland, you discover a handful of small civilizations meekly carrying on. Between constant raids by bandits, swarms of attacking mutants and the oppressive Authority, the few good people in the wastes are left to survive or rebel, both lifestyles leaving little time for anything other than shooting, gambling and racing. You’re thrown into the push and pull of things, using a myriad of bullets and vehicles to blast your way through what’s left of Earth.


Without understanding it’s pedigree, Rage might not seem like it warrants the attention it’s getting. Particularly because the game’s been marketed with fairly tight lips there seems to be a lot of fuss over what seems to be just another post-apocalyptic monster-shooter. I was definitely a part of that mentality, even with the knowledge of id’s importance in the industry, and superficially at least, it’s a fair judgment. You probably won’t come away from the game remembering unique set-piece moments and caring much about the story itself, but what you will get is borderline addictive gameplay and, well, fun.

id can definitely use Rage as proof that history and reputation count for something; these guys understand gunplay like no one else, and boy do they make use of that knowledge. Right from the start you can feel the weight and power behind your pistol, and though there are a pretty modest set of firearms you get to play with, there are enough ammo types and weapon classes to keep things varied and interesting. Every weapon has its benefits and detriments and you learn quickly what works on each enemy type. Lots of shooters can boast far more weapons to pick up and use, but it usually just means finding the most powerful one and using it forever. Rage isn’t satisfied with that. For the first time in recent memory, I found myself ducked behind a wall thinking strategy in an FPS game: “Okay, my assault rifle isn’t working, and they won’t get close enough for my shotgun. I have 12 explosive bolts left in my crossbow, but Ghost bandits are too evasive for my accuracy.” Solution? Pop some fatboys in the chamber and blow them away with my pistol.

This leads into my second point. The AI in Rage is fantastic. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an NPC actually dodge bullets before. I mean, many games have had enemies that will duck, roll or hide behind walls, but never contextually to my actions. Different types of enemy have their own unique behaviour – certain bandits will rush and throw mid-range weapons before slashing at you with axes and blades, mutants will climb and jump around your bullets, and heavily armoured Authority soldiers will use cover and grenades to try to draw you out of safety. There are even occasions where I’ve nearly cleared out a room and the last two bandits will shout ‘He’s kicking our ass! Fall back!” and run back to the next room. It really feels like the AI reacts organically to you, and whenever it seems that you’re actively affecting the game world around you the game is doing its job.

The game is set up in a sort of faux-RPG format. The world is essentially open, and missions are doled out through optional jobs chosen through conversing with NPC’s in hub worlds. Most of these jobs involve traveling by buggy through the wasteland to one of the many faction territories that function as ‘levels’ in the game. Here is where you’ll find the majority of enemies to shoot and explode. Accompanying the ‘RPG-lite’ mission format is an equally simplistic RPG system for upgrading your equipment. Throughout the game world you’ll pick up and purchase recipes and schematics that allow you to build more advanced tools that’ll help you throughout the campaign. The most popular and easily the coolest of your kit is the ‘wingstick’, a bladed boomerang that does heavy damage and can even return to you if thrown properly. Working out the bullet, evade, wingstick rhythm is a joy, and it’s probably the most satisfying weapon in your arsenal. The little RPG elements benefit the game by deepening the gameplay just a few inches more. It’s just a taste, but it’s enough.

Finally there are mini-games to play in each of the small hubs that include gambling your money on 5-finger fillet, a simple chance game called ‘Tombstone’ and a collectible card game similar to Magic: The Gathering. On top of this is the more campaign-relevant racing circuits you’ll need to participate in to upgrade and unlock your vehicles. The cars all feel clunky and handle wildly at first, but before long you’ll be breezily boosting and shooting your way around corners relatively easily. The racing is barely more than another distraction that helps vary the gameplay and keeps the gunplay from getting stale, but it works and can be a blast.

Rage can be a really pretty game most of the time. It features wide, varying landscapes and beautiful lighting. Up close the details start to blend and look a little muddy, and (at least on PS3) the game is constantly popping in layers of detail every time you move the camera, but truthfully you spend so much of the game in a frenzy of movement and bullets that these issues are pretty hard to notice when you’re actually involved in the game world. It also helps that characters move and speak with relative liveliness, thanks to less rigid dialogue animation and some quality voice-acting. Add to this the sheer size of the damn thing (Rage comes with three discs on the Xbox 360) and minor graphical problems are easy to overlook in exchange for the length of gameplay you get out of it.

If you’re exhausted by the amount of similar-looking FPS games that seem to come out every month, Rage is probably not on your wish list. In that respect, you might not want to go the $60 route. That being said, you may be surprised to discover how much you’ve been missing real entertainment in a shooter. The story is a tad conventional and truthfully, doesn’t really go anywhere and ends quite suddenly, but this is a rare occasion where it doesn’t matter. Rage is just that fun to play.

3.5/5 Bears


Here is something extra for all our Breaking Bad fans….

Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard – Casting Suggestions for “John McClane Jr.”

We learned earlier today that the 5th installment in the Die Hard franchise will heavily feature McClane’s son – John McClane Jr. So the next obvious question is: Who merits the right to carry the family name? I loved the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as ‘Lucy McClane’in the 4th movie, can they as well with her brother?

So in my anticipation for this latest addition to Action Cinema’s greatest franchise ever, here are some of my humble suggestions for the casting director…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, Boardwalk EmpireMichael Pitt

Born April 10th, 1981: 26 yrs Younger than Willis, 8 years old when the first movie was released.

Pitt, the star of HBO’s Boradwalk Empire has proven there he has the acting chops to be considered for a major film role. And while Boardwalk is a significant departure from his prior roles, many of which wouldn’t scream ‘badass’, you can’t deny the presence and believability HBO has given him in terms of being man enough to be called a McClane. Pitt is the oldest guy on my list, but if it were me, he’d be the first guy I called in for a screen test…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, TRONGarrett Hedlund

Born September 3rd, 1984:  29 Yrs Younger than Willis, 5 years old when the first movie was released.

Hedlund made a name for himself last year with his role in TRON: Legacy, but he had done his share of action movies before that, including Death SentenceTroy, and Four Brothers. He’s the right age and has the necessary pedigree to handle the role. Something like this, along with the rumored 3rd TRON movie could turn him into a household name, and that prospect could be attractive to FOX. Plus he seems likable…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, TerminatorThomas Dekker

Born December 28th, 1987:  32 Yrs Younger than Willis, 2 years old when the first movie was released.

Dekker starred on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as the boy who would become the man who would lead the human resistance against the machines – John Conner. And while during the first season he seemed an unlikely hero, I thought he really started to come into his own as the show progressed. Since then he’s appeared in 10 projects, including the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake and has 3 more on the way. And while he will probably be the least popular suggestion of mine, I can see potential…

And finally, if he was about 5 years younger I think Logan Marshall-Green would’ve been perfect, but he’s probably just a little old…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, Devil, Dark BlueSo those are my picks, what about you?

Die Hard 5: “A Good Day to Die Hard” Set for Valentine’s Day 2013

Speaking on the ‘Jim Rome Show’, FOX Executive Tom Rothman today broke some details about the newest chapter of the franchise. The 5th movie, titled A Good Day to Die Hard will follow John McClane to Russia to find his son – John McClane Jr. The casting of Junior is still in the air, but if this is done right, maybe it’s the start of whole new generation ass kicking.

Seeing as Die Hard is one of my favorite movies ever, and unlike most ‘Web Writers’ I loved the 4th movie as well, I am extremely excited for this. The big question – who should play Junior?

I’ll have a list of possibles shortly, who do you think should get it?

#21b – Countdown to Halloween: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

We already saw Doc Kronner’s take on this classic, so here is another opinion from TheBustedBoxes…

This is simply the classic Halloween horror flick in my mind. It has influenced everything from video games to music videos ala Thriller….

Continue reading #21b – Countdown to Halloween: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Dexter: Season 6, Episode 2 – “Once Upon A Time” Review

The second episode of season six of Dexter “Once Upon a Time”, was basically a setup for the rest of the season. It was packed with delicious morsels of change. For instance, not only did Quinn propose to Deb Morgan, but SHE SAID NO! Since Quinn is my least favorite character, I didn’t want that kind of permanent tie into the show.

Also, little Harrison is pointing out Daddy’s little brown box. Dexter’s box for his blood slides has apparently been seen… by a two-year-old. Don’t worry… Dex got Harrison his own box for his toys. This is a sign, though, that he will be noticing every little thing Dexter does.

 Deb Morgan is Homicide’s new Lieutenant! Although Batista was expecting the position, Matthews gave the job to Deb. LaGuerta is always finding a way to be shady or make Matthews dislike her, and, as Batista said in the episode, he always ends up paying for it.

It is unfortunate, because Angel Batista is one of the coolest characters on Dexter. He is realistic. He has tried picking up a hooker, screwed up his marriage, and got framed by Ms. “Pardon my tits”. Nevertheless, Deb is now leading the department. She is slowly but surely becoming my hero.

Continue reading Dexter: Season 6, Episode 2 – “Once Upon A Time” Review